When the English Bulldog was first developed, there was
still a great deal of subjectiveness when it came to classifying dogs like
these and breed names could be rather imprecise. A large dog could go by the
title of Mastiff strictly on the basis of size, but could also be referred to
as a Bandog, a term that at the time could be in regards to any of the type of
dogs that were kept chained, and the Bulldog was any dog used in the practice of
baiting bulls. By the 1800’s, a clear description of the English Bulldog as a
separate breed was available in the Cynographia Britannica, by Sydenham Edwards, portraying their round heads,
their wide chest, and their natural underbite. The preferences and practices of
English Bulldog breeders eventually led to a dog that looked quite a bit
different than that of the original English Bulldog, with shorter, somewhat
bowed legs, a shorter muzzle and tail, and an even more pronounced underbite
which led to the prevalence of several serious disorders within the breed. Starting
in the 1940s several breeders decided to try and recreate the breed as it had
once been in the hopes of restoring their original vigor and healthy
constitutions while retaining the pleasant, easy-going natures that the breed
had been infused with, including the American Bulldog developed in large part
by John D Johnson and Alan Scot, the Olde English Bulldogge developed by Dr.
Fechimer, both of which are recognized by the United Kennel Club, and the
Dorset Olde Tyme Bulldog developed by Steve Barnett, and the Olde Victorian
Bulldogge by Carlos Woods neither of which have been recognized by any major
kennel clubs. In developing the Victorian Bulldog, developer Ken Mollett from
London utilized not only English Bulldogs, but also Bull Terriers, Bull
Mastiffs, and Staffordshire Bull Terriers. The emerging breed of the Victorian
Bulldog is gaining in popularity and leading unscrupulous or ill-informed
breeders to breed different bully type dogs together and sell their offspring
as Victorian Bulldogs.